sister spiteri in kentucky

So I don’t think I ever want to leave Salem. I’m actually kind of hoping the Lord will leave me here past my 6 month mark. I definitely feel that kinship I was promised in my setting apart. I’m so glad they sent me here to this tiny little branch that has become a very large family. These people will never be forgotten. the Lord know’s what He’s doing 🙂

My new companion is Sister Bunker! She has just finished her training and is the funniest person ever. We speak in Russian accents all day long, it’s glorious. She’s from Provo, but her grandpa is from India! So we share an adoration for Indian food. Love.

One of these P-days we’re going to go down to the Louisville Slugger Museum and Churchill Downs, I love going down to Louisville. Something happens to people’s voices as you cross the Ohio River.

This week we had no idea what to do. But because the lord is ever merciful, we now have 2 people that we are teaching that are so prepared. The branch has just shown them so much love and it just makes me smile 🙂 The work cannot go on without the efforts of the members in the stakes of Zion. Speaking of stakes, guess who will be at our stake conference and will be addressing the missionaries on Valentine’s Day?

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Twelve!

This one time I met him in Texas and took a pic with him, just dig through my old Facebook pics (but don’t judge). 6 years later…Life is a whole lot different now. I am so excited to hear him speak to us and for the Spirit that will be present to grant revelation!

Hello Everyone! Are you excited for the greatest year yet? Because I am. So many miracles every day, so many people to talk to. Being a missionary is so fun. This week I had a dream my mission was over and I went home (I blame my comp that goes home in 2 weeks) but I was so bored I came back to Indiana to continue the work. Yep, the mission is that great. Or maybe I’m just crazy, that’s highly probable. Have the most wonderful beginning of this new year. We can always start again #BecauseofHim Don’t look back!

“It’s been a great week here in Salem. Some days we have miracles and find those who are prepared and have incredible lessons. Other days, the Lord may be testing our endurance, either to let us know we are lacking there or to confirm to us that we do rely on Him-even when it get’s tough. Even though some days go this way, He always provides relief. When we hold strong through the fog we will eventually see His hand guiding us in all of this. This is the Lord’s work and He will continue to guide (D&C 128:22). I’m so happy to be a part of this work and see the miracles the Atonement brings into so many lives. Hearts are softening and sheep are returning to the fold. My testimony of the Savior strengthens every day, whether I’m witnessing miracles or if my faith is providing me with just enough strength to keep going. He truly is our daily bread. ”

Hey everyone! Today marks my first day of not being a greenie anymore and that is such a relief. Tomorrow my Trainer is getting transferred and I will take over the area with a new companion and I am so excited! So this past Monday we had district P-Day and had a blast decorating gingerbread men and doing Secret Santa. Sister Gates got a One Direction poster from some Elders and they gave me crazy nail polish that’s against the handbook, but that’s okay because I’m sending a package home to my sisters soon and they’ll appreciate that 🙂

We are really focusing our missionary efforts on the #ShareTheGift Christmas Initiative and really spreading the word about that, so y’all should too! If you haven’t seen the video go to christmas.mormon.org

My favorite part of the week was when we had a tri-zone conference with Elder Kopischke of the Seventy. Sister Gates and I had been fasting and praying for guidance and we got it. He really invited the Spirit in to teach us all and it was an amazing experience. He really changed the way I view myself and my mission forever. He had me read D&C 4:2, a verse that had always made me feel inadequate. And he let me know that I was only called to serve with MY heart, MY might, MY mind, and MY strength. He let me know that I was doing just that and that in the process I was bringing salvation to MY soul. And that that would affect my family and those I serve for forever.

It was really incredible.

We taught an amazing lesson about the Restoration to a young girl named Sabrina. We read Joseph Smith’s account of how confused he was and how he was searching so hard for guidance and she really connected with him, it was so great 🙂

Last night we had a lesson with Trent about the Holy Ghost and revelation before we watched the Christmas Devotional with him and it was awesome. Then everyone who spoke mentioned the light of Christ and it was such a great learning experience for him. He is planning on getting baptized next month and we are so blessed to help him become prepared for that.

I just love this Christmas season, there is so much joy and giving and i am so glad to serve 🙂

So this week has been great! We had Zone Conference with President and Sister Brough and they are just fantastic! They just refuel our missionary fires every time we see them. Then we got a chance to see the Estradas twice this week! Two words. Mexican food. I’ve missed it.

We got the awesome opportunity to share the gospel with the son’s girlfriend- she is so wonderful and we are excited to keep working with her. She is so sweet. Their family is great. Before we left their house Brother Estrada showed us the “hair fighting” trick where you put two hairs in a dish of water and if you watch them reeeeally closely-Brother Estrada smacks the dish and splashes you with water all over you and your companion. Good times. Bueno tiempos.

We are so excited for the work, Heavenly Father is definitely giving us opportunities to be led by the Spirit in our work.

Yay for missionary work! Yay for Thanksgiving! Everyone have a wonderful week!

We are just having so many miracles, happening upon the most prepared and elect people all the time! There is so much work to do here, but I love it!

The Bowman’s- a couple that have been less active for about 2 decades- have been coming back since we’ve been meeting with them and it’s been an amazing journey with them. I am so grateful that the Lord has been preparing them. Brother bowman is making huge strides as he draws on the power of the Atonement to realign himself with Heavenly Father. Aaand he’s getting a calling soon 🙂

There are sooooo many members coming back and NOW is the time. This work has been so inspired and spirit led. We are told several times a day just how timely our visits have been in people’s lives 🙂

My favorite part of the week was Stake Conference with Elder Hymas of the Seventy. We got a chance to sing in a missionary choir the EFY Medley and it was powerful.

My companion and i has fasted before so we received SO much spiritual guidance for ourselves and the people we serve.

This week. So much. Well we had a baptism for a little boy named Dominick on Saturday and it was just so beautiful!!! Love love love. This Gospel truly does change everything.

In other business, we almost killed our car. So on Friday we were on our way to a lesson and decided to go drop off a birthday card for a member on the way. We missed the turn to their house but our GPS recalculated so it we just kept following it. We were on this beautiful road in the woods, orange leaves everywhere, and it was just splendid. The road became thinner and gravel instead of paved. It was a little bumpy but we just kept chugging along. We were on the phone with a woman in our branch so we weren’t paying too much attention. I looked out at the road and thought, this is so beautiful. This ought to be a hiking path instead of a road. Kept going. Then it got really bumpy, really tight. It was like the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland. We looked up at the GPS. We were on, literally, “Seldom Seen Road”. We heard this awful scraping sounds coming from under the car. We prayed. And before you know it, our car is halway in a ditch and my window is VERY close to laying on the ground. So we literally climb out, look around, cry a little, and then call for help. (We then proceeded to take lots of pictures) The brother we were going to see came and helped us out and we stay at their house for the next couple hours helping his wife in the kitchen. But I’d like to take a moment to point out how gradual the the wrong path was. How we were distracted, by the phone, the flashy leaves. We thought the road would level out soon enough. We ignored the warning signs. We were warned just 2 days earlier about this road, by the very people who came to our rescue! How we pushed ourselves so past our limits that we got stuck. We broke down.

But- there was a way back. We had to call for help and it came.

I know that this is so true in life. Look for the warning signs. And if you get stuck, call on Him. He will help you out.

General Conference is just the Super Bowl of missionary work, I love it! All’s well in Salem. Keeping busy and doing the Lord’s work. We don’t have much time to email today but I just wanted to let you all know how things are going out here. We have 2 baptisms on Saturday and I’m sooooo excited! Missionary work is the best ya’ll! Tell me how you liked conference!

So I’ve been in Salem for 2 weeks now and it’s just adorable here. I feel like I’m in Halloweentown because we have this adorable town square around the courthouse and there are pumpkins everywhere and it’s just so cute. The work here is shifting dramatically and I am so excited. We have a new branch mission leader and he wants us to emphasize us strengthening the members we have because hardly anyone comes to church so it’s our job to go out and find them and get to know what they could use. I am just crazy excited. So we have 3 people right now who are moving toward baptism. Cameron, Dominick, and Derek will all be baptized in October and they are all just so excited! Sister Gates and I are just getting along great and are becoming more unified in our teaching. Just loving it! We went to a mission fireside last night and got to see President and Sister Brough and feel of their love for us. Missionary work is hard and tiring, but so worth it! Called to serve!

Much love!

Sister Spiteri

So this is Sister Gates. We’re at the Apothecary at the soda counter (pumpkin milkshakes!)

Hey everyone I’m doing great! My first area is teeny tiny Salem, Indiana. Everyone just loves talking about Christ so finding people is so fun! Being here has really given me a greater appreciation for the blessing of the Gospel in my life. These plain and precious truths are exactly that, soooo incredibly precious. I love it when we find people who are so prepared for our message. (Also, there is a Mennonite community here, so fun!) One man even told us that he feels like the past few months of his life have led up to us meeting him, that he has had so many questions and we can answer them. The work is hard but rewarding. My companion is Sister Gates from Bountiful and she is so great! She’s been very patient with me and gives me so much positive feedback. After everything i say she says, I love it! Haha, she’s sweet. She came out a little over year ago so she goes home in March and says it’s just flown by. All is well, the members feed us, the Gospel is true, Joshua 1:9.